How to Make Your Business Environment More Welcoming and Accessible My Five

How to Make Your Business Environment More Welcoming and Accessible My Five How to Make Your Business Environment More Welcoming and Accessible Introduction We asked autistic individuals and their families, if businesses could make five simple changes to create a more welcoming and accessible environment, what they would want. With a focus on retail outlets, cafes and restaurants, our ‘My Five’ campaign gave individuals the opportunity to share suggestions that were useful and meaningful to them. Autism is different for everyone so it is important to mention that what might be helpful for some individuals may not be as helpful for others. However we hope that the top five suggestions that have been collated from this public consultation will provide your business with ideas of small adjustments you could make. The Top Five When we analysed the suggestions, there were five clear themes that emerged as being of key importance to autistic individuals and their families. Within these top five themes, we have shared some direct suggestions from the autistic community of how you can make your business more accessible. The most popular suggestion from our consultation was around the provision of quiet times and spaces. More than half of the suggestions referred to a need for staff to be autism aware. Similarly, more than half of the suggestions we received mentioned the acoustic environment. The other top suggestions were around how customers navigate and move through the physical space and how adjustments to the visual surroundings can make a difference to the autistic customer. Being Autism Music Aware and Noise Quiet Time Visual / Space Environment Navigation Being Autism Aware Good customer service is paramount to ensuring a positive experience with any business. For autistic customers, staff that are understanding, patient, non-judgemental and ready to assist and adapt will always be welcome. Some of your staff may already have an understanding of autism or have autistic relatives. For those that are not as familiar with autism, our interactive animated resource, ‘Understand Autism’ www.understandautism.org is a good starting point. At some point you may wish to consider providing your staff with autism specific training, and further developing their awareness of autism in to an understanding. Your team will then be aware of how they could support autistic customers specifically in relation to your business environment. Here are some of the suggestions we received in relation to staff being more autism aware: Have colour coded shopping baskets , signalling that the customer would/would not like assistance (retail) Have colour coded cards on the table , signalling that the customer would/would not like to be approached (restaurant) Staff should wait to be approached for assistance from customer “It would be great not to be pounced on with a “Can I help you”, or “Are you OK there?” as I walk in. Say hi but give me time!” “Have friendly assistants standing by who have been trained in autism to help, if asked, to find goods and bring them.” Music and Noise For some autistic individuals, processing auditory information can come with challenges. Background noise such as the radio, scraping furniture across the floor in a cafe and tannoy announcements can all be problematic, distracting and/or overwhelming. Whilst some may find background music stimulating and exciting, others may find it invasive. Where possible we would recommend reducing the amount of unnecessary music and/or noise within your outlet. If music or announcements are required then keep these to a minimum and low in volume as this can help to provide a more welcoming and accessible environment for your autistic customer. Here are some suggestions you may wish to consider in relation to the noise in your business: Provide booths/quieter sitting areas of the restaurant (away from footfall and noise) Opt for quiet/soothing music tones Supply ear defenders for use in noisy/loud environments “Turn the music off, it simply isn’t necessary in most contexts.” “Make music quieter in shops and restaurants as an autistic person I find some shops unbearable to be in for even 5 mins.” Visual Environment Differences in sensory processing style mean that autistic individuals can experience and be more sensitive to their surroundings. For example, they may find it difficult to focus on communication if they are feeling overwhelmed by sensory information such as bright lights. Lighting can cause glare, shadow and interference that can be distracting or even upsetting. Whilst it is hard to understand, the key thing is to accept it is difficult for the person. Dimmed lights or indeed switching to emergency lighting can be helpful. Here are some suggestions of how you might be able to adapt the visual environment: “Reduce the use of fluorescent lighting in shops.” “Beware: large glazed or mirrored areas can create disorientating optical illusions.” “No shiny slippy tiled floors.” Navigation The layout and display within your business is important for all your customers and this is something that emerged as being significant for your autistic customers too. Organising your environment so that people can navigate throughout your outlet at ease will reduce the likelihood of crowding and congestion which in turn can help to lower anxiety for an autistic customer. It can help to space out tables in a catering outlet and ensure there is adequate room around products for customers to view them. Here are some things to consider when reviewing the way customers navigate around your business: Have wider aisles Reduce the amount of product moves (allowing for familiarity) Have maps/guides showing the layout and potential triggers - such as overwhelming smells and sounds “Avoid displays that block throughfare.” Quiet Time/Space You may be aware of the growing move towards ‘Autism’ or ‘Quiet’ hours. These provide a more welcoming environment for autistic customers with adaptations such as dimmed lights, reduced music volume and less use of a tannoy. Similarly, more businesses are developing a quiet area which is a space away from the hustle and bustle that can give an individual, and their family, the opportunity to have a break from what could be an overwhelming environment. Initiatives such as these are welcomed by the autistic community and are something you may wish to consider: “Quiet spaces for people who are overwhelmed.” “Implement what you do on the Autism Shopping Hour ALL THE TIME, families cannot fit shopping needs into 1 hour once a month!” Below is the quiet area implemented within the St Enoch Centre, Glasgow. Providing their customers with a safe, quiet and relaxing space. Further Suggestions As well as the top five themes that emerged, there were lots of other brilliant ideas you may wish to consider, some of which are included below: Ensure the menu accurately describes what your food will include – no extra garnishes etc. Reduce the use of perfumed products in department stores e.g product sampling (shopping experience) Don’t substitute food/drink orders for alternatives e.g Capri Sun if no Fruit Shoot in stock Hand dryers that give a quieter and low speed option, as well as paper towels on offer Chill out zones in shops - such as bean bag area Conclusion We hope that this resource has given you some ideas on how you can make small adaptations to your business environment, to make it more accessible for autistic individuals and their families. In the near future, we will be extending our ‘My Five’ campaign to discover what suggestions and ideas the autistic community have on how other sectors and industries could adapt their environment. If your business would like to get involved, or you would like to receive more information on how your work- place can become more accessible and welcoming, please get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] or by calling 01259 720044. Throughout this campaign we received a huge amount of support. We would like to say a special thanks to all those who submitted their suggestions and Autism Rights Group Highland as well as: our 2018/19 Charity Partner St Enoch Centre, The Overgate Shopping Centre in Dundee, Stirling’s Thistles Centre, Rangers Football Club, Princess Parties Scotland and Go Ape..

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